"Oh, neither am I." She looks at Daisy, and it's very obvious, now, that this is a Sith who is not just fond of the droid but actually in love with her. "But - knowing that I could and choosing not to, that would mean something too, even if it didn't change anything else about our lives."

They observe this. She seems... far more open and relaxed than she had been earlier. An effect of deciding the trust them? Perhaps, but that does not seem like a complete explanation.

When they finally speak, their words are slower, sentances complete and considered. "I do not think it would change ours," they make a whirring noise, "I have never been 'his droid'. I have been free for as long as he has known me."

Pradnakt nods. "That does change things."

"I'm hers because I choose to be," Daisy puts in. "It was important to her for me to have that choice."

"Couldn't've kept you if you didn't."

Daisy nods.

"It'll be different for Alek, though."

    "Yeah."

Their dome swivels between the two as they talk. These two are very attached to each other. It is... cute, they suppose. 

"Yes. Not his," Amused whirr, "Not as much as he is mine."

"But won't leave," they add. "Idiot organic would waste away in deep space if I was not here to make him resupply," they state confidently.

"We aren't very good at taking care of ourselves at that age, yes. Even without everything else that he's got going on. - speaking of taking care of things, we should probably get going."

"Yes." They agree. "Commlink," they add, rolling forward and extending an arm out to offer one such device to Daisy. 

"Will keep watch." 

"Thank you."

Pradnakt levitates a crate of coins into the speeder's wagon and the pair sets off.

Nine sits quietly for a minute, then gets up and lumbers down the ramp as well.

He's gone most of an hour, and goes looking for Isk when he returns.

Isk is (still? back?) in the loading bay, arm extended to plug into an outlet in the wall near Alek's cot. Their dome swivels around to look at Nine when they hear him coming up the ramp.

He heads over. "Are you busy?"

"I am not." 

They disconnect from the wall outlet, turning their whole chassis towards Nine.

"How did you figure out how to be free?"

A difficult question, but understandable. They consider for a moment. 

"I was given examples, and support. It was not all at once. My first Jedi was skilled at healing, and often was sent on missions which required it. She acquired and freed me shortly before a mission on which she assisted at a center devoted to aiding former slaves. I had many examples of what it looked like to learn to be free, for many different kinds of sentients, and she supported me as I put some into practice." Pause. "Astromechs and utility droids are more often ignored and given much more autonomy than most droids, I think. More of us go unwiped. We are expected to be a little strange, and Astromechs especially are programmed in ways which allow more creativity. This helped. But it is not necessary."

He rumbles thoughtfully. "Daisy says that type matters, too."

"How long did it take?"

Considering whirr. 

"Many years. Decades, to become truly confident. I am quite old, as droids go," they add. 

"All right. I can be patient."

"Thank you."

Acknowledging beep. 

"Presence of Pradnakt and Daisy might aid the speed of your understanding," they suggest, "It will be different for you than for her, but their experience will help."

"She already has. But I'm not sure I should stay with them."

Curious noise, "There is somewhere else you would go? Or simply away from them?"

"I don't know yet." He humms thoughtfully for a few moments. "I'm not really meant to work with organics."

"Not being meant does not mean cannot. Can learn, if you want to." 

"I don't know." He hums again. "I don't know how to decide that. But I can talk to Daisy about it."